I'd like to know when the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff plans on speaking up about the mess in Iraq. According to George Bush, it's all Pace's fault what's going on over there.
"I'm going to make up my mind based upon the advice of the United States military that's in Iraq," said Bush, who spoke with U.S. commanders in Iraq earlier from the White House via videoconference.Bush keeps telling us that the reason we're staying in Iraq is the military's fault. The reason things are going to hell in a hand basket? The military's fault. Every single decision that Bush has made regarding Iraq? The military's fault.
"I'll be making up my mind about the troop levels based upon recommendations of those who are on the ground."
According to George Bush, he's relied on the generals on the ground in Iraq for instructions - the number of troops, armor, plans for victory, all the responsibility of the guys on the ground. Well, the boss of the guys on the ground is General Pace. So I think it's time we heard from him about why he screwed up.
General, do you agree that Iraq is all your fault? Is it true that you've gotten everything you wanted from the beginning and you still botched the entire operation, killing over 2,000 US service members and injuring tens of thousands? Is it true that you're the reason we're staying in Iraq, that you're the reason Bush is telling us we're winning?
We just want to clarify whether George Bush is right that General Pace and the military brass are the ones to blame for this entire fiasco.
Cuz, funny, but I have a feeling General Pace and the military brass aren't at all pleased with how Iraq is going, with the fact that Donald Rumsfeld is their Secretary of Defense, or with the fact that George Bush is their commander in chief. I suspect the military brass isn't at all responsible for our troops numbers in Iraq, for our strategy, or even for the fact that we're staying. I think George Bush and Donald Rumsfeld ignored the advice of the military throughout this entire war, and the military is having to implement a pretty crappy plan for victory that was shoved down its throat.
The thing is, our illustrious General Pace won't come clean with the American people or his own men and admit it. Pace keeps defending this failed war like a good lapdog rather than an honest general who actually cares about his troops and his country. And that makes this his fault.
The funny thing is that Colin Powell, for all of his foibles, had no problem standing up to his Commander in Chief, Bill Clinton, when he thought his CINC was wrong on gays in the military. Hell, none of the joint chiefs had a problem taking on Clinton over the gays. (The joint chiefs also didn't have a problem joining together to fight against the great cartoon menace threatening our troops.) Yep, no problem joining together to take on their commander in chief when they thought the gays were a threat, but when it comes to a war based on a lie that's an absolute disaster, the joint chiefs are mum. I guess bashing a fag, or a cartoonist, is a lot easier than actually standing up for your own men and your own country when it really counts.
And in that regard, in view of their collective cowardice, Bush is right - General Pace and the joint chiefs really are to blame for the Iraq debacle. If they had a pair of balls and an ounce of patriotism between the five of them, they'd have taken a public stand against this growing quagmire by now, rather than sending their own men into a war they knew, and know, they can't win.
